


Kabul 2004

by StorgeAgape



Category: One Day at a Time (TV 2017)
Genre: Flashback fic, Gen, Injury, shoulder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 20:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15893523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StorgeAgape/pseuds/StorgeAgape
Summary: Part of my headcanoning OBPI character series.Penelope got injured during war on her shoulder, is canon. They not say a specificIt’s said on One day at a time 1x07 “Hold, please”Fic is a mssing flashback scene.





	Kabul 2004

One day at a time 1x07 “Hold, please”

“What happened, Ms Alvarez?” Alex’s friend asks Penelope.  
“It’s nothing, Finn” Penelope replies while taking her pain killer medication.  
“Hey, don’t be so modest. She jacked her shoulder up in Afghanistan, being a hero” Schneider adds.  
Penelope scoffs at the last word “Hero. Kabul, 2004. I was assisting in surgery when a mortar hit close to the OR. The blast caused a pallet of surgical gloves to fall on my shoulder.” Penelope says placing her palm on her brachial plexus “The last part is not as impressive. But still, it is a war wound” she stands, her left palm upside, fingers semi flexed, wrist loose because the shoulder pain was shoting down the nerve.

Flashback to Kabul 2004

“Do we have everything ready for surgery?” The doctor asks a young nurse.  
“Yes doctor. New surgical gloves included. We got a new pallet today. Good stuff this time” the young nurse replies placing said box up the shelf.  
While they are operating the room shakes due to a mortar hitting near by, the gloves box falls off the shelf hitting the nurse on the left shoulder.  
The nurse tries to keep helping but is flinching at some movements passing the materials.  
“Get out the OR. Get the other nurse here. I’ll check your shoulder later” the doctor orders. Disappointed and yet in pain the nurse leaves the OR.

After the surgery, indeed the doctor checks up her shoulder. Is painful to do the flexing exercises he asks her. The nurse figures is because the box hit is recent.  
“Seems like the plexus got injured. You’ll need some physical therapy” the doctor concludes.  
“Come on, are you kidding me? It was just surgical gloves.” The nurse mocks.  
“Yet kilos hitting suddenly the nerves. You know how that can affect movement and so on. I’ll get you a trauma and neurological appointment as soon as possible. I’ll still run some more tests to make sure, but my diagnosis is brachial plexus injury undoubtfully. You can get a second medical opinion if you want. I’m giving you some pain killers, get as much rest as possible, no heavy weights or sudden moves in a while” the doctor offers while he finishes noting down his reccomendations on how to proceed.  
The nurse is oddly quiet. After reading the paper she folds it in half and puts it on her pocket. Her husband comes over.  
“What’s up Lupita?” He greets her.  
“I got injured at work” Penelope explains, waving her right hand. She goes to stand and flinches as she briefly holds her weight on the chair to stand up.  
“What happened?” The husband asks the doctor.  
“A mortar hitted near the OR, the box fell on her shoulder.”  
“What box?”  
“Gloves, it was gloves Victor” Penelope tells him not cheerfully.  
“Injured for some gloves?” Victor asks incredously.  
“New pallet. 17 kilos. Sudden hit is traumatic. It pressured the nerves suddenly. I’ll wait a bit to run more test, see how healing evolves. But I recommend physical therapy later” the doctor explains.  
“Are you serious doc?” Victor asks.  
“Do I sound like I am kidding Alvarez?” The doctor says in a neutral tone.  
“But what now? She has to quit the army?” Victor asks worried.  
“We’ll see how it evolves. So far she needs as much rest as possible” the doctor concludes.  
The young couple leaves the clinic, going back home.

As they got home she reads the paper again.  
“What did he noted down?” Victor asks sitting next to her on the couch. She passes him the paper.  
“Trauma and neurology?” Victor asks confused.  
“Brachial plexus are the nerves that go from the spine to the upper limbs, provides movement and so on, so neurology is involved, yeah.” Penelope explains.  
“Hey, Lupita, it’ll heal. Is fine. Maybe the doctor is wrong” Victor tries to cheer her up.  
“Yeah, maybe. We’ll see” Penelope tries to believe her own words, but she knows the surgery doctor has never failed a diagnosis before. She cuddles up with Victor for emotional resssurance, they’ll be fine, they always do.


End file.
